Toothbrush



J. SOOKNE TooTHBRUsH May 2a, 1924e l M9444 Filed Oct. 5 1922 Patented May/20, 1924.

ifaosraras raven .vosnrn sooIxNE, or NEW Y'onx, N. Y.

roornnnusn.

Application `filed Gctober 5, 1922.

of the United States, residingy at the city.

of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, has .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toothbrushes, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to tooth brushes. One object thereof is to provide a tooth brush which may be readily adjusted to lany desired practical shape so as to conform to the contour of the dental surface being cleaned, and which will retain the shape given it and yet have a sufficient degree of flexibility so as to be moved comfortably over the teeth in the cleaning operation.

- Another object of the invention is to prov vide in a toothbrush a head or brush portion which; shall be plastic so as to be molded into and`retain any desired shape given thereto and yet be sufficiently resilient or flexible for ractical use.

A further object 1s to provide a brush of the character described which shall be efficient in operation, simple in construction to a high degree, and comparatively cheap to manufacture.

A still further object is to provide a tooth brush which may also be used practically and efficiently for massaging the gums.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention.I

lFig. 1 is a side elevational view partly in cross-section of a tooth brush embody- .ing this invention and showing the same with the brush portion in flat position or in a position adapted to clean the fron-t teeth;

Fig. 2` is a plan View of the brush partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational'view of the tooth brush with the brush portion showny fortable for cleaning purposes.

Serial No. 592,516.

shaped for cleaning the labialsurfaces of the teeth; and' brush portion adjusted so as to clean the lingual portion of the teeth.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 indicates the brush handle which may be made of any suitable material such as bone, ivory or of metal, and 11 the head or bristle carrying portion. Preferably I make the handle and brush port-ions in separate members adapted to lbe secured together in any described.

The head portion 11 is made of a fiexible material such for example as vulcanized .soft rubber and the bristles 12 extending therefrom are also made preferably of the same material and integrally formed with the head portion. lfn order vthat the head portion may retain any shape given to it, I imbed therein a reinforcing core of dexible but non-resilient material, such for example as ya fine copper mesh 13.

F ig. 4 is a similar view thereof with the i suitable manner as hereinafter more fully Extending from the rear end of the brush is a'screw threaded shank 14 adapted to enter into a correspondingly threaded socket 15 in the end of the brush handle. rlhe shank 14 has a flattened portion 16 which extends somewhat into the brush head between 'the copper mesh. thus holding the shank firmly in position and yet leaving the major portion of the brush head free from rigid members so as to preserve its flexibility and softness.

ln making the brush head, l preferably employ a mold of suitable construction and shape, the molten rubber being poured thereinto about the copper mesh 13 so that the material of the head becomes incorporated or imbedded into the mesh. It will be clear that with a brush of the contruction described, the bristle carrying member or brush head may be given any desired shape by hand` the material of the brush head be ing. flexible as Well as the mesh 13. The latter being non-resilient causes the head portion to maintain any shape iven there to. On the other hand` the resiliency of the material about the mesh and of the bristles affords a certain degree of flexibilit sufcient to make the brush efective an coin- The vsoftness and flexibility of the bristles and the materialpof the head portion make the brush particularly suitable also for massaging the ing the front teeth. In Fig. 3, the brush.

head has been convexly curved for'cleaning the labial surfaces of the side or cheek teeth, and in Fig. 4, the brush head has been concavely curved for cleanin the lingual surfaces of the teeth. It will be understood tha-t in all these forms the brush headsubstantially keeps the shape to which it has been adjusted. that is such shapes as illustrated in Figs. l, 3 and 4, while the brush is being used for the corresponding portions of the teeth, the flexibility of the head member as a whole making the latter give as necessary as the brush is rubbed. over the teeth. l

It will thus be seen that there is provided. a device in which 4the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention. and as various changes might be made in the ein bodiment above set forth, it is to be under-y stood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanyinbo drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingr sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A tooth brush having a head portion .made of resilient material and having a flexible non-resilient reinforcing member imbedded therein as and for the purpose described and specified. v

3. A tooth brush having a head portion of vulcanized soft rubber and bristles of the same material extending integrally therefrom. .and a flexible non-resilient-metallic member imbedded in said head portion as anl for the purpose described and speciln testimony whereof I aix my signature.

JOSEPH sooKNE. 

